Climate Change News

NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) – In a brief filed March 7 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said it supports the dismissal of New York City's climate change lawsuit against the oil industry.

NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) – Attorneys for Chevron on Oct. 24 asked the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York to hold disbarred attorney Steven R. Donziger in contempt for his alleged continued efforts to personally profit off a pollution scam in the South American country of Ecuador.

BAGLEY, Minn. (Legal Newsline) - After the dramatic dismissal of charges against climate activists who had planned to argue "necessity defense" before a jury, the focus is now likely to turn to the north west and the trial of an elderly pastor accused of blocking a coal train.

NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - A program placing environmental advocates in state offices - while paying their salaries - has drawn criticism, though the New York law center running it defends it as legal and transparent.

In August, lawyers arguing for a group of oil companies submitted a motion to Judge Robert S. Lasnik of the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Washington asking that King County’s climate change lawsuit be dismissed.

Democrat challengers aspiring to become the top lawyers in their states have received financial boosts from Tom Steyer, a billionaire investor and environmental activist who some feel is a driving force behind the recent string of climate change lawsuits struggling to persuade judges to punish the energy industry.

DENVER (Legal Newsline) – Kevin S. Hannon, counsel for the city of Boulder and Boulder County, as well as San Miguel County, filed his argument as to why their climate change lawsuit against oil companies should stay in state court instead of being removed to U.S. district court.

DENVER (Legal Newsline) – A Colorado federal judge has approved a briefing schedule for determining a final location to hear a climate change lawsuit filed by local Colorado officials against two oil companies

New York City and the private lawyers it hired to sue the fossil fuel industry over alleged effects of climate change will not accept a federal judge’s recent decision to throw the lawsuit out of court.

Federal judges continue to reject the efforts of private lawyers who hold a financial stake in lawsuits brought by government officials against the oil industry over the alleged effects of climate change.